Is This Fasting Or Not?

Hello again, still watching your web. Learning answers to a lot of topics I have wondered about for a long time. Every one is talking Fasting. I go to a church that does fasting different than I’ve ever heard. I believe that you give up food in some way or totally for as long as you feel God would exspect of you as an individual. I have heard that a person can fast things like giving up T.V or some kind of pleasure. I do not believe in this as to me it seems like one is giving up a sin that should not be in your life any way. What does the Word say? I really would like your thought on this. Maybe I am wrong. God Bless you and I’ll look for an answer.

A

Many Christians give up little pleasures for a time and call it fasting. But Biblical fasting involves either limiting or going entirely without food or drink or both.

Also, the dictionary defines fasting as, “1) To abstain from food. 2) To eat very little or abstain from certain foods, especially as a religious discipline.”

The idea is to devote the time normally spent eating to prayer and also let our hunger pains prompt us to pray. Jesus spoke of fasting as if it should be a normal part of our Christian life.

The Israelites were required to fast on certain Holy Days, Yom Kippur for example. Several Biblical characters fasted for extended periods. Among them were Moses, Elijah, Daniel, John the Baptist, Paul, and Jesus. It’s a way of focusing intently on God and listening for His will on an issue. Fasting often precedes embarking on an important mission for the Lord.

About Grace thru Faith

Jack Kelley published over 9,000 Bible Study resources here from 1999, until the Lord called him home in the fall of 2015. His teachings made the Bible clear and easy to understand, and impacted millions of lives. He is the author of all the teachings here, and all materials are available free of charge! His wife Samantha maintains this site as well as their missionary outreaches.